New York City : Amazon Go is opening

The company has yet to announce a schedule for when it plans to open the new store. 

Amazon Go

Founded in 2016, the Amazon Go chain marks the online retail giant's movement into the world of traditional bricks and mortar stores. Unlike conventional supermarkets, Amazon Go lacks a checkout and instead requires customers to pay using a mobile app connected to their online Amazon accounts. 

It is likely that the New York City store will be followed by branches elsewhere in the United States, but it remains to be seen whether Amazon Go will ever reach Britain. If Amazon opens a branch in the United Kingdom, the new store will have to compete with established British chains such as Sainsbury's and Tesco. Thanks to its innovative payment system, Amazon Go would at least have novelty value on its side, and it is safe to say that the innumerable customers who shop both online and at supermarkets will be willing to give Amazon Go a try. 

There is an irony to Amazon's spread into high street retail, as it is Amazon and other online stores that led to the on-going decline of bricks and mortar outlets. However, supermarkets represent a sector that has so far survived the changing habits of customers, so it is an entirely logical move on Amazon's part to try and capture some of this business for itself. 

Anyone with an interest in the future of brick and mortar retail will be paying close attention to Amazon Go. If its New York City branch is a success then the online juggernaut may well begin opening outlets elsewhere in the world, including the United Kingdom.